The Most Common Scams on Facebook (2025)
Categories: Cybersecurity, Data, Data Breach, Data Privacy, Digital Footprint, Facebook, Privacy Guides, Redact Features, Social Media, Social Media Management
Facebook feels personal. It is filled with familiar names, faces, and memories. That sense of comfort is exactly what scammers use to their advantage. Social engineering is not about hacking software. It is about manipulating people.
If you trust what you see, you are more likely to click, share, or respond. That is why Facebook has become a prime target for scams that rely on tricking users instead of breaking into systems.
The fake friend request scam
One of the most common social engineering tactics on Facebook is profile cloning. A scammer copies the name, profile photo, and basic info from a real account. Then they send out friend requests to people on that person’s friend list.
Once accepted, the scammer sends messages like:
- “Hey, I’m stuck abroad and need help. Can you send me some money?”
- “Check out this video of you, it’s wild!”
Because the message looks like it is coming from someone you know, your guard drops. That is the entire goal. Scammers rely on that moment of trust to get you to click or send information.
Viral content with hidden risks
Not all social engineering is direct. Some of it looks like fun.
You have probably seen posts that say things like:
- “What was your first pet’s name?”
- “What car did you learn to drive in?”
- “Your superhero name is your birth month and favorite food. Go!”
It feels innocent, but scammers use these types of posts to collect answers to common security questions. Add that to a public profile, and they can easily guess your passwords or impersonate you.
Memes and quizzes are often designed to gather:
- Birthdays
- Hometowns
- Graduation years
- Favorite colors
- Names of relatives or pets
Even if each answer seems harmless, they start to build a bigger picture.
What to look out for
Here are a few things that should raise red flags:
- Duplicate friend requests from people you are already connected with
- Messages asking for money, personal info, or links to strange videos
- Quizzes and memes that ask you to reveal personal details
- Public profiles with open friend lists, tagged locations, and full job history
- Old posts that expose too much about your past
If a post, comment, or like makes it easy to guess your security answers, it is a risk.
How to stay safe
If you want to review and delete risky posts without spending hours scrolling, Redact can help.
Redact lets you:
- Search and delete posts, likes, and comments by keyword or date
- Preview exactly what will be removed
- Select and delete specific items or bulk-delete everything at once
- Schedule automatic cleanups to keep your account tidy over time
Redact supports Facebook and many other platforms, giving you full control over your online presence.
Final thoughts
Social engineering works because people trust what feels familiar. That is why Facebook is a favorite tool for scammers. But with a little awareness and some help from Redact, you can protect your account, your personal info, and your peace of mind.
Make your Facebook reflect who you are today, not mistakes from the past. Clean it up, lock it down, and move forward with confidence.
Redact also supports dozens of other major social and productivity platforms. You can try it free for deletions on Discord, Twitter, and Reddit.
